Boot lacing tightening device



Sept. 22, 1964 A. RYDER 3,149,384

BOOT LACING TIGHTENING DEVICE Filed Sept. 13, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.I

INVENTOR. 111452065 A VOE'R Sept. 22, A. RYDER BOOT LACING TIGHTENING DEVICE Filed Sept. 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. A ME/QdJf A X01.

United States Patent Oflice 3,149,334 Patented Sept. 22, 1964 3,149,384 BGQT LACING TIGHTENE IG DEVICE Ambrose Ryder, Mahopae, N.Y., assignor to Carmel Titan Corp, Carmel, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 13, 1961, 521'. No. 137,833 Claims. (1. 24-68) This invention relates to devices for tightening the lacings of boots and shoes, and particularly the lacings of boots used by skiers and skaters.

It is a common experience of both the skier and skater that after a short period of skiing or skating the boot lacings loosen so as to interfere with the proper control of the skis or skates. This requires that an attempt be made with cold fingers to untie the lacings, draw them up tighter, and then retie. This process not only occasions discomort but usually fails to produce the desired degree of tightness. Skiers and skaters experience ditiiculty in drawing the laces sufiiciently tight, that is, cinching up the laces when the boots are first put on and before the lacings are tied.

In accordance with my invention I provide a device for tightening boot lacings and holding them in tightened condition which comprises a body having a stem portion with a hook at one end and a handle portion at the opposite end, the stem of the device being sufiiciently slender and having approximately parallel sides so that the hook portion can be worked or inserted beneath a cross piece of the boot lacing and then the stem portion slid or manipulated beneath the cross piece whereupon, by turning the device, a bight is first formed in the cross piece and then a twist, with the result that a very considerable tension is applied to the lacing which draws the lacing through the loops, eyes, or hooks on the shoe so as to tighten the lacing and cause the boot to hug the foot more snugly. Means such as one or more side hook or catch members is provided on my device which are engageable with an adjacent or nearby cross piece of the boot lacing so as to prevent twist in the lace from unwinding and thereby maintaining or holding the lacing in tightened condition.

This device is held securely and safely in position on the boot by the engagement of the stem with the bight of the twist, the hook preventing the stem from slipping free of the cross piece, and by the engagement of the catch hook with the adjacent cross piece, so that there is no danger of losing the device during subsequent skiing or skating.

The invention and the device constructed according thereto will be better understood by considering the accompanying drawings and the following more detailed description.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the boot lacing tightening device;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a boot with the device applied thereto;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of the boot lacing tightening device, FIG. 4 being a plan view, FIG. 5 a side view, and FIG. 6 an end view looking in the direction of the arrows 66 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are views which are similar respectively to FIG. 4, 5 and 6 but illustrate another modification of the device, and FIG. 9 being a view looking in the direction of the arrows 99 of FIG. 8; and

FIGS. 10 and 11 are fragmentary plan views of a boot lacing, drawn to an enlarged scale and showing the formation of the bight by the manipulation of the tightening device.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 the boot lacing tightening device includes a body comprising the stem portion or member 29, a hook or toe portion 21 terminating in a tip 21', and a handle portion 22. These three parts are in one piece and are of strong, stifl? metal such as steel, and desirably stainless steel. The stem portion 20 may be round or rectangular in cross section, but advantageously is rectangular, and its horizontal width is somewhat greater than its thickness. However, the corners are rounded and smooth and the entire device is polished so that it may be slid or worked readily beneath the boot lacing. Also both the upper and lower surfaces of the stern are parallel with one another as well as the side edges for the same purpose, namely, to facilitate the manipulation of the device with respect to the lacing. The hook portion is bluntly pointed as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the same purpose. Projecting laterally from the stem is one or more side or catch hook members 23, each terminating in a tip 23.

In FIG. 3 the boot 24 has a conventional lacing of rawhide or any desired material which is criss-crossed and threaded through conventional loops 25 at the lower portion of the boot and hooks 26 at the upper portion. The lacing is tied in a knot 27 at the top of the boot. In using the tightening device the hook portion 21 is inserted beneath one of the cross pieces 28 of the lacing and by horizontal turning of the device a bight 29 (FIG. 10) is formed in the cross piece.

In FIG. 10 the tightening device has been rotated clockwise through a half turn starting a twist in the lacing and thereby exerting tension or pull which is imparted to the portions of the cross piece 28 on both sides of the device and thence to the nearby sections or" the lacing. This one half turn may tighten the laces sufficiently, in which case catch hook members 23 is engaged with the next or adjacent cross piece 30, as shown in FIG. 10. It will be understood that the lacing tension in the two parts of cross piece 28 tends to unwind the twist and rotate the tightening device in a direction to cause side hook member 23 to bear more firmly against cross piece 30.

In the event that a half turn does not produce sufiicient tightening of the lacing, the device may be rotated a complete turn or through several turns as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 11 to form a twist 31 having several strands before engaging the catch hook 23 with another lacing cross piece. As shown in FIG. 3 the catch hook has been engaged with a cross piece which is above twist 31 on the shoe. This is usually the convenient position as the handle 22 is directed upwardly, but if desired, the tensioning device may be left in a downward position with the catch book 23 engaged with a cross piece which is below the twist.

In the modified and advantageous form of the tightening device which is shown in FIGS. 46, the stem member 20a is flattened in cross section, that is, it is considerably wider in its horizontal dimension as shown in FIG. 4 than in its vertical dimension, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Also, the stem member 20a terminates in a .toe portion 21:: which not only is bent or curved upwardly to facilitate engagement with the lacing but is wider laterally than the stem 2% and has a side projection 32 terminating in a tip 32 (FIG. 6), which is especially eifective in preventing the device from becoming disengaged from the shoe and lost during skiing or skating.

At its opposite end stem portion 20a has an integral head portion 33 to provide a handle of extensive dimensions to facilitate the manipulation of the device in tightening the lacing. Furthermore, the side or catch 'means tor engaging the adjacent lacing cross piece and holding the device in applied position is formed as a part of this head portion 33. As shown in FIG. 4, two catch hooks 34 and 35 have been provided. These are ar- 3 ranged in angular positions which are approximately at right 'angles to the radii 36 and 37 which intersect the stem 20a at the approximate location of the bight of the lacing, such as bight 29 of FIGS. 3, and 11.

It is intended to form'the device of FIGS. 4-6 from a sheet of suitable metal, such-for example as aluminum or magnesium or an alloy'ofthese metals, by means of a stampingprocess, and accordingly the head portion 33'is upwardly in concave or dished form, as illustrated, and thus conforms partially to the curve of the instep 'Where'the head of the device may be conveniently located. The catch hook members 34mm 35 are cut from the material of'the'hea'd'piece 33 and bent'downwardly into appropriate hook formations as shown, terminating in tips 34' and 3-5, respectively. These hook members 'may be formed "during the same stamping operation which outlines and shapes the entire tightening device.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-9 still anothenmodification is'illustrated'which is a variation 'of the deviceo-f FIGS. 1-2. "In fact,'the'stemmember b, catch hook member 21b and catch hook 23b 'are'identical-with the respective parts of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2. The handle portion 22b "is 'alsoisiniilar to handle 22'e'xcept that the adjacent portion of stem 20bis'bent upwardly as shown in'FIG. 8

so as'toplace handle 22b at a more convenient operating position than handle 22.

The-features of the device of FIGS. 7-9 are that, first,

it is provided with three catch hooks instead of a single catch hook,'and second, the two added catch hooks 37a and 38 are mounted to project downwardly from acurved arm 39 which extends from one'si'de ofstem portion 2012 near handle-22b in 'aT-pla'ne which is at an angle of about to stemportion 2017. As pointed out iii-connection with the catchhooks 34 and 35 of FIG. 4, the catch hooks 37 and 38 are located soasto be approximately at right angles to radii which intersect one another at the bight location on 'stem'portion 20b (see FIG. 7, radii 40 and '41).

With this construction, instead of a single catch hook,

three'catch hooks'23b,"37 and 38-are provided which are angularly spaced from one another in order togive a choice of meansfor engaging the "second cross piece of the lacing, thereby "affording a choice of tightness adjustment within less than half a turn 'or'rotation of the tightening device. In additiomthe upward curvature of the arm 39 locates the two additional catch hook members 37 and 38 at a progressively'increasing distance above the first catch hook =23b'and above the stem portion 20, 2%.

With this'a'rrangem'ent this device, like the forrn shown in 'FIGS. 4'6,-'can be engaged with a cross piece of the lacing which is directly 'at' or just below the instep, and still the several catch hook members 23b, 37 and 38 can readily be engaged with a 'cross piece which is located towards the upper part of the boot.

It will be understood that although all three forms of -myboot lacing tightening device have been constructed -zfor clockwise rotation ofthe device in tightening the lacmay be adjusted in order to conveniently engage thecatch hook'with anadjacent lacing cross piece is by sliding the stem portion '20, 20a .or 20b, as the case-may be, 'leng'thwisewith respect to the light 29 until the desired stem andcurved upwardly from said-axis and terminating in a tip and catch means on said "stem comprising'a hook which extends laterally and downwardly in a plane normal to said stem axis and terminating in a second tip, the said toe portion tip being-insert-able beneath acrosspiece' of a boot lacingso'that pressure on the stem in thelen'gthwise direction brings said stem into engagement with the lacing thereby enabling the device to be-rotated inaplane'generally parallel with the lacing to-twist and tighten the lacing, and said hook adapted to engage with another crosspiece of a boot lacing'to maintain the lacing in a tightened condition.

2. A boot lacing tightening device according to claim '1 in which said catch means includes an arm extending from the stem near the handle in a generally semicircular curve towards the toe portion, and at least two catch-hooks projecting from thecurved arm.

3. Aboot lacing tightening device according to claim 2 whereinthecurved arm extends towards the toe portion at an angle of approximately 30 to the plane through the stem at right angles to the plane passing through the stem andtoe'portion.

4. A boot lacing tightening device comprising a slender elongated stem of a uniform cross-section having a longitudinal axis, ahandle-member-integra-l with one end of said stem in the form of an upwardly dished plate member, a toeportion integral with the other end of said stem and curved upwardly from said axis terminating in a tip and catch means on said plate member comprising at least one hook which extends laterally and downwardly and terminates in a second tip, said toe portion tip being insertable beneath a crosspieceof a boot lacing so that pressure on the stem in the lengthwise-direction brings said stem into engagement with the lacing thereby enabling the 'devic'e-to'be rotated in a plane generally parallel with the lacing to twist and'tighten the lacing and said hook adapted to engage with another crosspiece of a boot lac- 'from.

References Cited in the file of this patent v V UNITED STATES PATENTS 311,480 Fuller et al. Feb. 3, 1885 410,283 Jinkens Sept. -3, 1889 930,533 Cokely Aug. 10, 1909 1,469,112 Schoonover Sept. 25, 1923 3,027,057 Johns Mar. 27, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 72,831 Sweden Oct.6, 1909 

1. A BOOT LACING TIGHTENING DEVICE COMPRISING A SLENDER ELONGATED STEM OF A UNIFORM CROSS-SECTION HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, A HANDLE MEMBER INTEGRAL WITH ONE END OF SAID STEM HAVING A LARGER CROSS-SECTION THAN SAID STEM, A TOE PORTION INTEGRAL WITH THE OTHER END OF SAID STEM AND CURVED UPWARDLY FROM SAID AXIS AND TERMINATING IN A TIP AND CATCH MEANS ON SAID STEM COMPRISING A HOOK WHICH EXTENDS LATERALLY AND DOWNWARDLY IN A PLANE NORMAL TO SAID STEM AXIS AND TERMINATING IN A SECOND TIP, THE SAID TOE PORTION TIP BEING INSERTABLE BENEATH A CROSSPIECE OF A BOOT LACING SO THAT PRESSURE ON THE STEM IN THE LENGTHWISE DIRECTION BRINGS SAID STEM INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LACING THEREBY ENABLING THE DEVICE TO BE ROTATED IN A PLANE GENERALLY PARALLEL WITH THE LACING TO TWIST AND TIGHTEN THE LACING, AND SAID HOOK ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WITH ANOTHER CROSSPIECE OF A BOOT LACING TO MAINTAIN THE LACING IN A TIGHTENED CONDITION. 